The present invention relates to a method for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases, and more particularly, to a method for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases, comprising administering to the patient a pharmaceutical composition for hemorrhoidal diseases, which comprises activated carbon as an active ingredient.
The hemorrhoidal diseases is a general term for anal lesion. There are many types of lesion that can take place from the rectum to anus and the neighboring region thereof, such as perianal fistula, skin tag, perianal abscess, anal fissure, pruritus ani and anal prolapse. The main complaints of the patients suffering from hemorrhoids are constipation, swelling, hemorrhage, itching and pain.
Typical examples of the hemorrhoidal diseases are perianal fistula and hemorrhoids. The perianal fistula is a syrinx formed in or around the anal tract. Usually, it refers to symptoms which is caused primarily by nonspecific bacterial infection. In most cases, the perianal fistula is incurable by medication, and generally radical operation is necessary for its cure.
Hemorrhoids are varix-like dilatation of the venous plexus of anal region. The venous plexus of anal region is congested repeatedly due to various causes such as straining at stool, constipation, pregnancy, asthma, long-time sedentary work, drinking, etc., so that the hemorrhoidal piles are formed gradually. The hemorrhoids are roughly divided into two types: internal hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids according to the region of occurrence of the affection. Clinical symptoms of the hemorrhoids are formation of tumor, hemorrhage, inflammation and pain. For treatment of the hemorrhoids, proper medication is applied according to the symptoms. But in case where medication provides no satisfactory effect, a pertinent operation is performed on the patient.
Medicines for hemorrhoidal diseases includes a suppository, an ointment and an internal medicine. The suppository and ointment for hemorrhoidal diseases contain an analgesic/antiphlogistic agent, a hemostatic agent, an astringent, a disinfectant, etc., and contain as a main ingredient adrenocortical hormones, lithospermum root extracts, hydrocortisones, morphine hydrochlorides, scopolia rhizome/opium extracts, tannic acid, cocaines, scopolia rhizome extract/tannin, etc. The internal medicines contains paraphlebon, tribenoside, etc., as a main ingredient, and are expected to work for relieving constipation, normalizing the circulation of the blood and putting down local inflammation.
Nevertheless, there are available little medicines effective for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases, and a radical operation is usually required for curing perianal fistula diseases, which tends to inflict a great deal of pain on the patient. Thus, the development of an effective therapeutic agent for hemorrhoidal diseases has been demanded.
As the result of the present inventors' extensive researches on an effective therapeutic agent for hemorrhoidal diseases, which is different from those of the conventional medicines for hemorrhoidal diseases, it has been found that a prominent therapeutic effect for hemorrhoidal diseases is produced by oral administration of a spherical activated carbon. Spherical activated carbons have been generally used as an oral therapeutic agent for chronic renal failure, but no report has ever been made on use of such spherical activated carbon as a therapeutic agent for the hemorrhoidal diseases. In view of this circumstance, the above finding by the present inventors is deemed an unexpected fact based on a novel conception. The present invention has been attained on the basis of the above finding.